Proposed Corporation Commission ethics code takes aim at lobbyists
By Rachel Leingang | Arizona Capitol Times
The Arizona Corporation Commission may ban lobbyists from buying food or gifts for commissioners and require lobbyists at the commission to register with the state.
The lobbyist registration and gift ban ideas were floated in a recently released draft of a code of ethics by the commission, something the embattled regulatory body has been considering for nearly two years.
The code of ethics came as a response to years of public scrutiny of utilities’ influence over the regulators as millions in campaign money flooded commission races in the past two election cycles.
The eight-page code, drafted by Commissioner Boyd Dunn, who is an attorney, draws from existing state and federal laws, and ethics codes from other public entities.
Much of the ethical code is already required by law. For instance, commissioners must follow open meeting laws and cannot violate rules prohibiting them from communicating on ongoing proceedings. They also have to follow campaign finance and public records laws.
The code is a draft and will be amended before a final adoption from the full Corporation Commission, which is expected by March.
